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    Home » Entrees

    Brown Rice and Bean Salad Recipe with Hot Sauce Dressing

    Published: Apr 30, 2014 · Modified: Jun 21, 2019 by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 18 Comments

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    Whip up this easy brown rice and bean salad for your Cinco de Mayo feast, or serve it as a vegetarian entree (vegan and gluten-free, too) any night of the week. 195 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP. Thanks to Cholula Hot Sauce for helping me to share this recipe with you.
    Whip up this easy brown rice and bean salad for your Cinco de Mayo feast, or serve it as a vegetarian entree (vegan and gluten-free, too) any night of the week. 195 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP #rice #beans #salad #vegetarian

    This recipe and bean salad was the result of a late night hate hallway confrontation, believe it or not. Four a.m. in the middle of a hotel hallway hardly seemed the time and place for a conversation about treasured family recipes, but the alternative was to release my ugly inner dragon lady.

    The night started at 10 p.m. and it did not start well. While I was bound and determined to soak up every minute of sleep, my twenty-something neighbors next door and across the hall at my hotel in Temecula, California had other ideas. They headed out to hit the bars, as they loudly discussed in the hallway between beer-guzzling contests.

    "This should go well," I though facetiously.

    Brown rice, black beans and red bell peppers in a large glass bowl.

    Sure enough, at 2 a.m. I sat bolt upright in bed, awakened by music set to volume 10.

    By 4 a.m., all hell broke loose. I opened my door to find four guys wrestling in the hallway, their tattoed bare-chested bodies flying over each other and against the walls.

    They responded surprisingly quickly to my practiced "mum glare", picking themselves up and skulking into their rooms.

    Half an hour later, loud pounding set me stomping to the hallway once again. I opened the door to find a young, shirtless guy pounding on the door next to mine.

    "Dude, what are you doing?"

    Lime juice in a glass with a whisk, surrounded by fresh lime, garlic and hot sauce.

    "They won't let me in."

    "Okay, but this has been going on all night," I pointed out.

    He looked at the ground, then up at me sheepishly.

    "I'm sorry."

    I paused.

    "Well, while I have you here and you're stuck in the hallway for awhile, let me ask you a question."

    He looked at me apprehensively, clearly waiting for a reprimand from the crazy-haired, bleary-eyed woman next door.

    Pouring a hot sauce-based dressing over brown rice, avocado, black beans and red bell peppers in a large glass bowl.

    "What's your favorite food...your favorite thing that your mum makes for you?"

    He looked at me in surprise.

    "Um...well, I don't know."

    And then his face lit up.

    "My mum's rice and beans. They're really good. She makes them spicy and puts avocado on top."

    I smiled at him. "Thank you. Have a good night."

    I may have been sleepless in Temecula, but the night wasn't a total loss.

    And so this rice and bean salad was born.

    A bottle of Cholula hot sauce on a black background.

    Brown rice and red bell pepper give this rice and bean salad a dose of fiber and vitamins, but it's the creamy avocado and citrus hot sauce dressing that steal the show.

    The dressing takes about two minutes to pull off. Just whisk together lime juice, garlic, olive oil and a good dose of hot sauce.

    The hot sauce that we keep in our pantry is Cholula original hot sauce, which is what I used in the dressing (you know, the hot sauce with that iconic photo on the label). I recently discovered Cholula's other flavors and am dreaming up ways to add them to our Cinco de Mayo meal (or any other meal, for that matter). The other flavors include Chipotle, Chili Lime and Chili Garlic, and I'm convinced that I need to have one of each on hand at all times. They sound like a Cinco de Mayo lover's dream come true!

    What I love about the Cholula hot sauces is that they have amazing flavor, thanks to the blend of peppers and seasonings used to make it, without blowing up my mouth. There's nothing worse than losing the ability to taste your meal because your taste buds have been burned to a crisp. The hot sauces are made in Chapala, Mexico and have been in existence for at least three generations. And if you follow a gluten-free diet, I have goodness...Cholula is gluten-free.

    This rice and bean salad makes a fantastic side dish, but would work just as well as a vegetarian (vegan and gluten-free, too) entree.

    As I served this salad for dinner, on a bed of spinach and topped with chopped chicken, I wondered what my hotel hallway buddy would think. Maybe it would be good enough to bribe him and his friends to keep quiet for the night.

    I'll never know, but I am begrudgingly grateful to him for inspiring this recipe that my family will love for years to come.

    Have you ever made a hot sauce dressing? This one adds a ton of flavor to a simple rice and bean salad. #cincodemayo #recipe

    Other recipes for Cinco de Mayo:

    Cookin' Canuck's Tequila-Spiked Shrimp Ceviche with Avocado
    Cookin' Canuck's Kicked-Up Avocado Margarita for Cinco de Mayo
    Gimme Some Oven's Steak Poblano & Mushroom Tacos
    Skinnytaste's Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas
    Climbing Grier Mountain's Tres Leches French Toast with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

    Whip up this easy brown rice and bean salad for your Cinco de Mayo feast, or serve it as a vegetarian entree (vegan and gluten-free, too) any night of the week. 195 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP #rice #beans #salad #vegetarian

    Brown Rice & Beans Salad Recipe with Chili Hot Sauce Dressing

    Whip up this easy brown rice and bean salad for your Cinco de Mayo feast, or serve it as a vegetarian entree (vegan and gluten-free, too) any night of the week. 195 calories and 6 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP. Thanks to Cholula Hot Sauce for helping me to share this recipe with you.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Share by Text Rate
    Course: Entrees, Salads, Side Dishes
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: Cinco de Mayo, Gluten Free, Meatless Monday, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 194.8kcal
    Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

    Ingredients

    The dressing::

    • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    • 2 ½ teaspoons Cholula classic hot sauce
    • 1 garlic clove minced
    • 1 ¼ teaspoons honey or agave nectar
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 2 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

    The Salad:

    • 3 cups cooked brown rice
    • 1 14 ounce can of low-sodium black beans, drained & rinsed
    • 1 red bell pepper diced
    • 1 avocado chopped
    • ¼ cup minced cilantro
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    The Dressing:

    • In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, hot sauce, garlic, honey or agave nectar and salt. While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil.

    The Salad:

    • In a large bowl, stir together the brown rice, black beans, red bell pepper, avocado and cilantro. Pour the dressing over top and stir to combine. Serve.

    Notes

    Weight Watchers Points: 6 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 4 (Points+)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.66Cup | Calories: 194.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.6g | Protein: 4.5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Sodium: 159.9mg | Fiber: 5.2g | Sugar: 1.8g
    Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

    Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Cholula Hot Sauce. We have been fans of their products for years and all opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Liz

        August 11, 2019 at 5:24 am

        5 stars
        When I saw this recipe, I knew it would be perfect for my lunch! I wasn't disappointed--so much delicious flavor in every bite!

        Reply
      2. Ashley

        August 10, 2019 at 6:47 pm

        5 stars
        I was looking for an easy side for dinner and this was so delicious served with some salmon. Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
      3. Dee

        May 12, 2016 at 8:10 pm

        I've made this for myself before and eaten it cold - delicious! Planning to bring it to a bbq - any advice on cold vs. warm?

        Reply
        • Dara

          May 16, 2016 at 5:51 pm

          I haven't tried it cold myself, but will definitely try that now! If you are going to bring it cold to a bbq, I would avoid making it too far ahead of time, as rice has the tendency to start hardening the longer it sits.

          Reply
      4. Barbara @ Barbara Bakes

        May 13, 2015 at 9:23 am

        I posted an adapted version of this salad on Pressure Cooking Today. We loved it. Thanks!

        Reply
      5. Natalie @ Paper & Birch

        May 07, 2014 at 12:44 pm

        This sounds fantastic Dara!
        Any secret's to cooking brown rice? It's my arch-nemesis. It's always either too soggy or too crunchy.

        Reply
      6. Lily (A Rhubarb Rhapsody)

        May 02, 2014 at 12:21 am

        Hahaha! That is one of the best recipe inspiration stories I've heard! You are certainly a lot more lenient than I, I think my inner dragon lady would've reared her ugly head.

        Reply
      7. Suki F

        May 01, 2014 at 6:15 pm

        This looks very good! Luckily the weekend is almost here (that’s the only time I get to cook tasty things). I’ll try it for sure!

        Reply
      8. Amy @Very Culinary

        May 01, 2014 at 1:39 pm

        I would be so happy if a bowl of this was in front of me right now.

        Reply
      9. Robyn

        May 01, 2014 at 8:03 am

        I can't wait to try this. Am from Winnipeg Manitoba - Cholula is hard to find and expensive here! I always stock up when I cross the border. It is the best hot sauce out there! Thanks for all your great recipes & stories.

        Reply
      10. Carol at Wild Goose Tea

        April 30, 2014 at 1:34 pm

        Now that was one heck of a story! Maybe you could expand it and sell it as a sit com script??? Ya think. However what a fun recipe popped out. I just noticed that I am typing and shaking my head at the same time. Lol

        Reply
      11. KalynsKitchen

        April 30, 2014 at 10:56 am

        Love all the flavors in this salad!

        Reply
      12. Meagan @ A Zesty Bite

        April 30, 2014 at 7:36 am

        Sounds like you had a rough night at the hotel. So happy to finally meet you in person.

        This dish is definitely up my alley in flavors.

        Reply
      13. Christine from Cook the Story

        April 30, 2014 at 7:02 am

        That hot sauce will keep me kickin' all day long! LOVE it!

        Reply
      14. Brian @ A Thought For Food

        April 30, 2014 at 6:54 am

        You definitely got it the worst that night. How annoying. But, heck, at least it makes for a great story.

        And I think I need to make this this week. Right up my alley.

        Reply
      15. Liz @ The Lemon Bowl

        April 30, 2014 at 6:25 am

        OMG what a hilarious story!! We grew up with cholula on the table every night!!

        Reply
      16. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar

        April 30, 2014 at 5:46 am

        I love this. Super simple and so delicious looking! xx

        Reply
      17. Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness

        April 30, 2014 at 4:34 am

        That hot sauce is my husbands absolute FAV! I really need to eat brown rice more..I've been eating so much quinoa, so this looks fab! Pinned!

        Reply

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      I'm Dara, a Canadian living in the U.S. and sharing my favorite healthy recipes. My cooking motto is that healthy eating never needs to be boring!

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